Executive Chef at Olio in Origgio, Andrea Marinelli develops a cuisine grounded in product integrity, aromatic herbs and extra virgin olive oil, with a strong focus on teamwork. In 2025, the restaurant was awarded one MICHELIN Star in the MICHELIN Guide Italy 2026.
Born in Saronno in 1985, Andrea Marinelli grew up in the Alto Milanese area, where his passion for cooking emerged early. He trained at the Gianni Brera Hospitality School in Milan, laying the foundations for a career driven by discipline, precision and respect for raw ingredients.
His professional path developed through a series of significant experiences in Italy, starting with Armani/Caffè and continuing at MAIO Restaurant at La Rinascente in Milan. A crucial step was his time at Innocenti Evasioni, awarded one MICHELIN Star, where he refined an approach focused on clarity of flavour, balance and technical restraint.
International experience played a key role in shaping his outlook. In Copenhagen, Marinelli led the opening and kitchen direction of MAIO Restaurant at Illum Rooftop, adapting Italian culinary language to a Nordic context, where rigor, organisation and precision define the dining experience.
After returning to Italy and working alongside chef Arrigoni, Marinelli met the Milini family, discovering a shared culinary vision built around three core values: passion as the driving force behind every preparation; respect for ingredients, from sourcing to execution and presentation; and the central role of people, both within the kitchen team and in the guest experience.
Since July 2020, he has been Executive Chef at Olio, located in Origgio (Varese) within The Box, a multidisciplinary space that brings together classic cars, contemporary art and a productive garden. Here, his cuisine balances land and sea, favouring clean, defined flavours, seasonal produce and thoughtful technique. Aromatic herbs and extra virgin olive oil are essential tools, enhancing rather than masking the natural identity of each ingredient.
On November 19, 2025, Olio received its first MICHELIN Star in the MICHELIN Guide Italy 2026, a recognition that officially marked a pivotal milestone in Marinelli’s professional journey and affirmed the coherence of his culinary philosophy.
